Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Chapter 39

xXx Naraku's castle xXx

"Ayaka," Naraku looked at his incarnation.

Ayaka glared over at Naraku.

"You broke down after your sister died and couldn't complete your mission."

Ayaka closed her eyes at the grueling memory of seeing Chika on the ground dead.

"Therefore... I have no use for you," Ayaka's heart appeared in his hand.

Ayaka gasped. Naraku gripped the heart. Ayaka cried out and held her chest.

"Naraku!" she gasped while he gripped the heart.

Blood dripped from the heart in Naraku's hand and Ayaka collapsed... dead. Her blank eyes stared at nothing. Naraku smirked.

"What a waste to create her," he laughed, "better to create something that looks like the victim," he looked towards a room.

The light shone in that room and a girl with black hair over her face looked up, her face barely visible. She had dog ears.

"What is your wish? Naraku-sama," she asked.

xXx Inuyasha and Others xXx

Taka yawned.

"There you go Taka-chan," Kagome said, "good as new," Kagome finished replacing the bandages with new ones.

"Arigatou," Taka grumbled.

"Taka?" Kagome looked at her friend worriedly.

Taka snarled. She sounded exactly like Kikyo right there.

"Taka-chan!" this time... it sounded like Kagome.

Taka calmed.

"Gomen," she whispered.

Kagome nodded and walked out of the hut. Outside Inuyasha sat by the fire with everyone else.

"Why is she like that?" asked Kagome when she sat down.

"Nani?" asked Shippo as he bounded on Kagome's shoulder.

"She's been all grouchy to me," Kagome explained.

"You sounded like Kikyo," Taka stood in the door of the hut, "I have good hearing, remember!" Taka growled and walked off.

"Well at least her wounds are healed enough so she can walk," Miroku pointed out.

"Sounded like Kikyo? I thought she liked Kikyo," Kagome watched Taka walk away.

Inuyasha looked away. Kuragari did the same.

"Nani!" Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's hair, "you know something!"

"Let go! Let go! Let go! Let go!" Inuyasha exclaimed painfully.

Kagome let go.

"Why is she like that Inuyasha?"

"Keh," Inuyasha looked away.

"Osuwari!" Kagome sat him.

"Alright! Alright!" Inuyasha grumbled as he sat up again, "Kikyo tried to kill Taka last night and take her to hell."

"Nani!" everyone exclaimed (except Kuragari).

"Last night," Inuyasha began, "Kikyo's soul collectors lured Taka towards a nearby lake... me and Kuragari followed. Kikyo said she was going to kill Taka and take her soul with her to hell," Inuyasha growled, "their mother appeared and stopped Kikyo and took her to the heavens... but I'm not sure Taka will forgive easily."

Kagome sighed.

'Kikyo... why would you try that?' she thought to herself.

Kuragari wrapped his arm around Kagome.

"Don't worry... my sister's just mad... she didn't mean to snarl at you," he said softly.

"I know," Kagome replied as she leaned her head on his chest.

Somewhere nearby Taka stood on the cliff Kikyo sat on.

"Mother... how could you forgive her so easily?" she asked as she looked up to the sky, "hmph... I forgot... it's acquired that a miko forgives and doesn't hate," she kicked the dirt.

Taka jumped from the cliff landing gracefully on the ground below. She sighed and started walking towards the camp. She stopped abruptly and sniffed.

'Naraku,' she thought hatefully.

A girl stepped from the forest. She brushed the hair from her face and her dog ears twitched. Taka gasped.

'She looks exactly like me,' Taka thought.

The girl laughed. Her eyes were violet but were so dark it looked black.

"Taka... if I'm correct," the girl said.

"Hai it's me," Taka answered coldly.

"My name is Toshi," she said, "Naraku created me as a copy of you."

Taka growled. Toshi put a finger over her lips.

"No one must know I'm here though," she grinned, "we'll meet again."

Toshi closed her eyes and a cloud of black swirled around her. When it cleared she was gone. Taka growled and sniffed.

'Not a trace left!' she thought.

"Oi! Taka," Inuyasha waved at her from nearby.

Taka looked around one last time and went to meet Inuyasha.

Toshi sat in a tree. Out of sight and smell range. She watched Taka and Inuyasha leave and smirked. A gust of wind blew behind her.

"Kagura?" said Toshi, "why are you here?"

"Naraku wanted me to check on you." Kagura replied.

"I won't fail like my sisters did," Toshi laughed, "those fools weren't fit enough to even try fight them... I can tell from here... when the silver-haired is fully healed he's powerful and the sword increases his power, the monk... i can smell the kazanna, the taijai with the Hirakotsu, the kage youkai... is just plain strong, and then the miko... with the sacred arrows. See sister? I'm not as stupid as our other sisters."

Kagura growled.

"And don't worry," Toshi's expression changed to one of a savage youkai, "if I do die... I won't be the first," she laughed again.

'Naraku was right," Kagura thought, "Toshi wants to kill... badly... even if it means her own life being taken... she's a killer... a beast," Kagura looked up at the incarnation.

She could tell the urge to kill was inside Toshi and it was strong.

"I'll be off," Kagura took a feather from her hair and flew off on it.

Toshi watched her with a smirk.

"She's a smart one," she said, "another minute of standing there and I would have slaughtered her... sister or not," she cracked her knuckles.